Gallery
Orange Ă la Chris !
A custom order, after having fallen in love with our 5 string orange. We added a zero fret and Shaller strap locks. Everything is orange, except hardware (black), the fret board (as black as possible) and the strings. There will be no more “Orange Ă la Chris !” in the future, as that was a promise made to the customer.
Moonstruck
Sent to Guitar Planet Japan, sold and then sold again second hand by Geek In Box. Nordstrand Blades (Single Coils) with a finger ramp, associated to a Glockenklang 3 band preamp. Photo courtesy of Guitar Planet Tokyo.
Kind of Blue
The twin of “Moonstruck”, but in a satinated kind of blue, also a choice of Guitar Planet Tokyo (Photo courtesy of Guitar Planet Tokyo).
Cherry Burst
A high gloss cherry burst finish on poplar burl for a very dear client of ours. EMG singles associated to a Noll 3 band preamp… % strings and ready to go…!
Pink Walnut !
“Pink Walnut will never work!” was I warned… Sometimes, you need to follow your instinct, and it works…against all odds! Switchable Delano Times Square associated to a Noll 2 band.
Welcome to the Dark Side !
A variation on our “Basso Voce”, 4 string Deluxe fretless with its epoxy coated fret board. Darker colour, darker tone, darker sound. Switchable Delano Times Square, associated to a Noll 2 band preamp.
Claro Quilted Walnut
Another shape another world… A headed headless ! Perfectly balanced, simple and elegant. Delano PC Series associated to a Glockenklang 3 band preamp, high gloss finish wrapped up by a beautiful ebony binding. Ganesha #1, bought 15 minutes after having been posted online!
GS 6
Ganesha 6 built for Gabriel Severn. Inlays, colour, very special maple top, gold hardware; no options were spared. Delano PC & MC series associated to a 3 band Glockenklang.
Basso Voce Blu
Our funky fretless signature, but in a first 5 string version, with a stained top and neck. Switchable Delano Times Square, associated to a 2 band Glockenklang. Chosen by Geek In Box, Japan.
Axiom in 2 colours
A custom order on a Napoleon Deluxe 6 fretless. Two colours, two pickups and extra control of the mids. All that wrapped up with two Nordstrand Big Singles.
Twins
Space twins (Rings of Saturn & Asteroid Field), Napoleon Deluxe 5 fretted & fretless with Buckeye Burl, EMG singles associated to 2 & 3 band Noll preamps.
Maple & Walnut
Built for Alex Lofoco, with very specific instructions, including a “slap ramp” which must be a first! EMG Singles associated to a 2 band Glockenklang. All is maple (burl, curly & birdseye) except the walnut body.
Sonnenstrahl
A full walnut fretless Basso Voce with a beauty of a spalted beech top. A custom order for a very special Lady. EMG Single associated to a 2 band Glockenklang.
Spalted Walnut
Beautiful top for an extra-light body in red willow. Nordstrand Blades associated to a 3 band Glockenklang. Sent to Guitar Planet Japan (Photo courtesy of Guitar Planet Japan).
Low Tide
Another Napoleon Deluxe, 5-string this time, built for Alex Lofoco. Nordstrand Blades associated to a 3 band Glockenklang. Top in buckeye, and a neck in padouk, that according to Alex makes the whole thing “wild”.
Fretless Curly Redwood
A rare lined fretless equipped with a Nordstrand Blade single coil, associated to a 2 band Glockenklang. Sent to and sold by Guitar Planet in Tokyo.
Full Monty
A tonal revelation… 100% walnut fretless, neck, fret board (coated with epoxy), body and an exceptional top (in spalted walnut), with a Nordstrand Dual Coil associated to a 2 band Glockenklang preamp.
Loom of Fate
We generally love using colour on flame ash tops, as the wood seems to be woven into shape… Here an rare example of a fretted 4 with Nordstrand Dual Coils associated to a 3 band Glockenklang.
Vlad’s Sunset
Our first 6 fretless ever… I never thought we would sell it… After all who needs six strings on a fretless? Well it seems a lot of musicians do. Two weeks later, it was heading to a dear client of our’s in Utah. A very rare homemade pure active pickup associated to an even more rarer homemade pure active 3 volt preamp.
Blue Jeans
Here we exploded all templates in a six fretless with a maple fret board (coated with epoxy), bling hardware, concealed pickup… you have it all! A Nordstrand Dual Coil, switchable to single, associated to a 2 band Glockenklang.
Dark Matter
Ganesha unleashes its full potential with Delano pickups associated to a clean 3 band Glockenklang… Massive, and off she went to one of the bass luthier’s community preferred clients…
Natural Beauty
Walnut, walnut and walnut, with an epoxy coated ziricote fret board. What enhances its looks are the pickup cover and finger ramp in the same spalted walnut of the top wood. Switchable Delano associated to a 2 band Glockenklang… what more do you want?
Basso Voce
… also known as “The Remco”, as it was built for him a few years ago. Chocolate maple neck with a flame maple fret board, coated with epoxy; Walnut body with a spalted maple top, the “basso voce” evolution adds a switchable Delano, associated to a 2 band Noll preamp.
Did you say F.U.N.K. ???
A Napoleon Deluxe 5 that just radiates the funky vibes… ash body, maple top, neck and fret board, 2 switchable Delanos associated to a 3 band Glockenklang… sooo funky, we even inlayed his name!!!
High gloss fretless 4, with the homemade 3 volt electronics. The Koa top and Macassar fret board just wraps it up in a stunning look.
Cocoa
Ultraviolet
Another fretless six in the making, with the rare homemade active electronics. We chose a ziricote fret board and off it went to yet another dear client who couldn’t resist the purple…!
A sea of green
The last one of our gallery (for the moment), a custom order from Utah. Huge electronics for a very special fretless 6…! Nordstrand Dual Coils associated to a 3 band Glockenklang.
Building Your Bass Together
Cortex Bass is a very small bass manufacturer and builds 2 – 4 batches of basses per year. All basses are 100% handmade by Paul Lairat. To fit a custom order in our batches, here are the planned batches (once the debut date has been exceeded, the batch is closed to new custom orders):
February – April 2025: Ganesha batch (10), closed
November 2025 – January 2026: Open